Pray. Fast. Give

The weeks leading up to Easter are called Lent. We invite you to join us in following Jesus’ command to PRAY, FAST and GIVE  (Matthew 6: 1-18) 

The word Lent comes from the Latin quadragesima which means ‘fortieth’. The English root of the word Lent means spring or lengthen. So, the six weeks leading up to Easter are called Lent because, the days are lengthening during Spring and there are 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day. Actually there are 46 days, but we don’t count Sundays because that’s when we celebrate God’s love and faithfulness, so they are feast days!

In the season of Lent we want to:

• Seek more of God, so that we can become more like Jesus.
• Use the spiritual disciplines that Jesus taught us, so that we can live like him.
• Share in fellowship so that we can help one another to become more like Jesus.
• Show others God’s love, so that they can know Jesus for themselves. 

During Lent it is good to GIVE (take something up) to help us to:

• Share all that God has given to us
• Show Jesus’ love to others
• Celebrate new life in Jesus

A pattern for starting a good rhythm of praying, fasting and giving

Gather. Choose a quiet space. 

Centre on Jesus. Be still and focus

Pray. To praise God. To thank God. To say sorry. To ask for help. For other people, my friends and family. Be expectant. 

Read. Look at God’s Word in the Bible every day to reflect each day through Lent. Try to learn a verse each week.

Share. What do you think that God is saying to you today? 

Recall. Did you pray, fast and give yesterday? What did God say to you, show you, help you with, do through you….? 

Resolve. What / who are you going to PRAY for today? What do you need to FAST from today to help you draw close to God? You could turn every pang into a prayer! What should you GIVE, of yourself, today to help others to see and know God’s love?

Ideas for how you could pray, fast and give

PRAY

• Remember: Prayer is how we talk to God. It is good to set aside special times to pray but God is with us always so we can talk to him all day, every day, anytime, anywhere!

• Pray with your whole self. Try praying using your body in different ways. Here are some ideas:
  • Stand up, with your hands raised
  • Sit down and fold your hands together
  • Lay down with your face to the floor (humble before God) 
  • Jump up and down in praise 
  • Kneel down
  • Form a circle with friends, you could hold hands to connect you

• Pray your praises. Did you know that you can’t be afraid and thankful at the same time?! So, praising God helps us to overcome fear! THANK YOU GOD! Here are some ideas:
  • Try giving thanks to God at least three times a day. 
  • Set an alarm to remind you to stop and give thanks in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening.

• Pray for someone to know Jesus for themselves.
  • Pray for one, or more, people every day so that they will get to know Jesus for themselves 
  • Ask God to give you opportunities to talk to them about Jesus and show them God’s love

FAST

• Remember: Fasting / abstinence should make us hungry for more of God, and help us to focus on the things he wants us to pray for, do, say, give…. If your fasting doesn’t remind you to pray, it’s pointless!

• Fast from fidgeting!! Just sitting very still is a kind of fast. You could try:
  • Sitting very still for 1 minute and then trying to be still for a little longer each day. 
  • Choose a special place to be still with God, maybe a comfy chair, or a place in the garden, or on your bed. 
  • Looking at a candle, or special object, to help you to think about God. 
  • Talking to God in your head, or out loud.

• Fast for 1 day. It is good to fast from things that we like to help us to love God more. Sometimes this is a good way to break bad habits and form good habits! 

• Fast from Food. It is not a good idea to miss meals on a school or working day, but perhaps you could try: 
  • Missing breakfast at a weekend 
  • Not eating any desserts 
  • Drinking only water (not coffee, tea, pop, etc.)
  • Having smaller portions
  • Avoiding fatty foods 
  • Be vegetarian (fasting from meat) 

• Fast from distractions and things that get in the way of following Jesus. You could ask other members of your family to help you, and join you! Maybe you could fast from one of these:
  • Sweets and/or sugary drinks
  • Technology, e.g. T.V./Computer/tablet/phone
  • Video games
  • Social media
  • Shopping

GIVE

Remember: Our giving should point people to Jesus. He is the best thing we can give to people!

Use our 40 Days of Giving Calendar for idea about how to be a generous Giver.

All of the above are extracts and images from My Lent Calendar and Lent Calendar Guide, both by Tabitha Heathcote.

If you would like to know more about this, or other resources, for children and families you can contact the inspire for kids team here: [email protected]

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• Become regular donor to Inspire to help us support Missioners working on the resources.
• Join the Inspire prayer team. Email: [email protected]
• Contact the Inspire for Kids team for more information. Email: [email protected]